Men’s hockey to open conference play against Cornell Friday

The No. 11 Quinnipiac Bobcats (3-1-1 overall, 0-0-0 Eastern College Athletic Conference) open up a weekend home stand Friday night when the No. 18 Cornell Big Red (2-0-0 overall, 0-0-0 ECAC) come to Connecticut. This matchup opens up ECAC competition for both teams. The teams split in their matchups last season, with Quinnipiac winning 3-1 in Ithaca and Cornell registering a victory in Hamden.

Players to Watch

Quinnipiac – Alex Whelan (Sophomore Forward)

Dating back to last season, the Ramsey, New Jersey native has lit the lamp nine times in 13 contests. Whelan is as potent as goal scorers come in ECAC hockey. He has four goals in five games this season, including an overtime winner in Quinnipiac’s last game at Northeastern. The Bobcats skated up to No. 11 in the latest USCHO.com poll.

Whelan has played an immense part in the team’s success, evidenced by his current second-place standing in goals in the ECAC. The biggest question mark coming into the Bobcats’ season was where the offense would come from. Rand Pecknold’s squad has not been able to boast a dynamic offense since Sam Anas and Travis St. Denis wore the blue and yellow two years ago. Do not bet against Alex Whelan to give this offense more credibility by continuing his hot start to the season.

Cornell – Trevor Yates

Throughout his career, Trevor Yates has been deadly on the power play. Yates has a team-high three goals so far this season, all coming on the man advantage. Last season, the Quebec native scored eight of his twelve goals on the power play, the most by a Cornell player since the 2009-10 season. The senior is looking to become the focal point of a Cornell offense, and has set the tone early. He tied a career-high with three points in Cornell’s last game against Alabama-Huntsville. Cornell’s best chance to break down the stout Quinnipiac defense will start with Yates and his ability to make this happen for the Big Red.

The Game

Be sure to check out @QBSN’s broadcast of Cornell vs. Quinnipiac at the TD Bank Sports Center in Hamden, Connecticut at 7 p.m. Jonathan Banks and Alejandro Pena will be on the call for this matchup. Follow them on Twitter here: @jonathanbanks8_ and @alejandropena.